North American Meat Institute Welcomes Confirmation of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO of the North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute), today congratulated U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on his confirmation and issued the following statement:

"Due to comprehensive protections instituted since the spring, independent data show that COVID-19 infection rates for meat and poultry workers are now more than four times lower than in the general population and 95% lower than when the pandemic hit the sector hardest in April, 2020. We welcome Secretary Vilsack's leadership and experience at USDA as we build on these effective protections, vaccinate frontline workers as quickly as possible, feed American families, and keep our farm economy working. In addition, Meat Institute member companies remain at the ready to assist Secretary Vilsack and USDA in ensuring rural communities have better access to the vaccine."

The Meat Institute has welcomed the Biden administration's updates to workplace safety guidance and urged the administration to ensure that any new standards issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) protect the food supply and facilitate the continued successful impact of multi-layered COVID-19 measures that have substantially reduced transmission risk in meat and poultry facilities.

For more information about COVID-19 health and safety measures in the sector, visit NAMICovidFacts.com/health-safety.

The North American Meat Institute is the leading voice for the meat and poultry industry. The Meat Institute's members process the vast majority of U.S. beef, pork, lamb, and poultry, as well as manufacture the equipment and ingredients needed to produce the safest and highest quality meat and poultry products.

SOURCE North American Meat Institute